why does each child have a unique set of traits? course hero

by Keanu Kassulke 3 min read

Why does each child have a unique set of traits?

The answer has to do with the fact that each parent actually has two different sets of genes. And that each parent passes only half of their genes to their child. And that the half that gets passed down is random. All of this together ensures that each child ends up with a different, unique set of genes.

Can you choose your child's traits?

While there is no legal prohibition against customizing your baby's traits, the reality of a brave new reproductive world generates enormous emotion. "There is no more important question that is going to face us than deciding how to control and use genetic engineering and genetic selection to design our kids.

Are most traits single gene traits?

Most traits are determined by more than one gene. For example, skin color and height are determined by many genes. Some phenotypes however, are determined by a single gene.

Which type of inheritance is a phenomenon in which two or more genes contribute to a single phenotypic trait?

A polygenic trait is a characteristic, such as height or skin color, that is influenced by two or more genes.

How are baby traits determined?

The bottom line is that there's no specific way to determine your child's appearance, personality, or traits. It's not, however, entirely a game of chance. Some genetics are passed down and can't be changed, while the expression of others can be influenced by other factors.

Do we inherit personality traits from our parents?

Some Traits Are Inherited As far as why kids are sometimes exactly like or nothing like their parents, Bressette says studies show that personality traits can be inherited. “There are five traits that have a link to personality: extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness.”

What factors influence your traits?

Most traits are shaped both by a person's genes and by environmental factors. Environmental factors include everything outside of DNA that affects your traits. They are very broad and can influence you in many ways, either alone or in combination with genes.

What allows humans to have different traits from each?

Answer and Explanation: Humans have different traits from each other because of the genetic make-up in their DNA and specific traits called polygenic traits. A human's DNA is like a set of instructions for putting something together.

Why are some traits more common than others?

Whether or not a trait is common has to do with how many copies of that gene version (or allele) are in the population. It has little or nothing to do with whether the trait is dominant or recessive.

How are traits passed on from one generation to the next?

Heredity refers to specific mechanisms by which characteristics or traits are passed from one generation to the next via genes. Genes encode the information for making specific proteins, which are responsible for the specific traits of an individual.

What is it called when a single gene influences more than one trait?

Answer:A) pleiotropy. Explanation: When a single gene influences multiple phenotype expression it is called a pleiotropic gene.

Can a single gene influence multiple traits?

When one single gene starts affecting multiple traits of living organisms, this phenomenon is known as pleiotropy. A mutation in a gene can result in pleiotropy. One example of pleiotropy is Marfan syndrome, a human genetic disorder affecting the connective tissues.

What traits are passed from mother?

10 traits you can inherit from your motherMitochondrial diseases. Mitochondrial diseases are chronic hereditary disorders that occur when mitochondria DNA has defects or mutations. ... Eye conditions. ... Physical features. ... Menopause and menstruation timing. ... Intelligence. ... Sleeping patterns. ... Aging. ... Ability to lose or gain weight.More items...•

Why you should not choose your child's genetics?

Parents should not be able to choose from a menu of preferred traits for their children. This could hinder children from carrying unique genes and could thus eventually reduce genetic variation which is necessary for the human species to continue and live when environmental changes suddenly take place.

Are personality traits inherited or learned?

For most of the traits measured, more than half the variation was found to be due to heredity, leaving less than half determined by the influence of parents, home environment and other experiences in life.

What traits do you inherit from your father?

List of Traits which are Inherited from FatherEye Colour. Dominant and recessive genes play a role in determining eye colour of the child. ... Height. If the father is tall, there is more chance for the child to also be tall. ... Dimples. ... Fingerprints. ... Lips. ... Sneezing. ... Teeth structure. ... Mental disorders.More items...•